Browsing by Author "Burke, William B."

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New Paleomagnetic Constraints on the Early Cretaceous Paleolatitude of the Lhasa Terrane (Tibet)
(Frontiers Media SA, 2022-05) Li, Zhenyu; Ding, Lin; Laskowski, Andrew K.; Burke, William B.; Chen, Yaofei; Song, Peiping; Yue, Yahui; Xie, Jing
New zircon U-Pb dating results from the Zonggei Formation volcanics indicate that the volcanic rocks formed at ∼114–110 Ma. Paleomagnetic data, petrography, and rock magnetism confirm the primary nature of isolated characteristic remanent magnetizations carried by titanomagnetite and hematite. A statistical analysis of the combined results from the Zonggei and Duoni formations reveals a group-mean direction of D±ΔD = 0.4° ± 6.0°, I±ΔI = 22.2° ± 5.6°, α95 = 5.6°, k = 35.2 after bedding correction based on 20 group-mean directions. The corresponding paleopole was calculated to be λp = 70.3°N, φp = 270.5°E with A95 = 5.2°. The interpretation of our data alongside the Cenozoic data from the Tethyan Himalaya indicates that the India–Asia collision initiated by 61.7 ± 3.0 Ma at 13.0° ± 1.8°N, assuming a single-collision model. Intracontinental crustal shortening totaling 1,770 ± 470 km took place on the Asian side since the onset of India–Asia collision. Furthermore, the data show that the Neo-Tethys Ocean reached its maximum N-S width of 7,100 ± 530 km at ∼132 Ma and shrank to 6,400 ± 550 km by ∼115 ± 5 Ma. This is consistent with previous estimates based on the geophysical images of the subducted Neo-Tethyan slab beneath Eurasia.
Record of Crustal Thickening and Synconvergent Extension from the Dajiamang Tso Rift, Southern Tibet
(MDPI AG, 2021-05) Burke, William B.; Laskowski, Andrew K.; Orme, Devon A.; Sundell, Kurt E.; Taylor, Michael H.; Guo, Xudong; Ding, Lin
North-trending rifts throughout south-central Tibet provide an opportunity to study the dynamics of synconvergent extension in contractional orogenic belts. In this study, we present new data from the Dajiamang Tso rift, including quantitative crustal thickness estimates calculated from trace/rare earth element zircon data, U-Pb geochronology, and zircon-He thermochronology. These data constrain the timing and rates of exhumation in the Dajiamang Tso rift and provide a basis for evaluating dynamic models of synconvergent extension. Our results also provide a semi-continuous record of Mid-Cretaceous to Miocene evolution of the Himalayan-Tibetan orogenic belt along the India-Asia suture zone. We report igneous zircon U-Pb ages of ~103 Ma and 70–42 Ma for samples collected from the Xigaze forearc basin and Gangdese Batholith/Linzizong Formation, respectively. Zircon-He cooling ages of forearc rocks in the hanging wall of the Great Counter thrust are ~28 Ma, while Gangdese arc samples in the footwalls of the Dajiamang Tso rift are 16–8 Ma. These data reveal the approximate timing of the switch from contraction to extension along the India-Asia suture zone (minimum 16 Ma). Crustal-thickness trends from zircon geochemistry reveal possible crustal thinning (to ~40 km) immediately prior to India-Eurasia collision onset (58 Ma). Following initial collision, crustal thickness increases to 50 km by 40 Ma with continued thickening until the early Miocene supported by regional data from the Tibetan Magmatism Database. Current crustal thickness estimates based on geophysical observations show no evidence for crustal thinning following the onset of E–W extension (~16 Ma), suggesting that modern crustal thickness is likely facilitated by an underthrusting Indian lithosphere balanced by upper plate extension.